Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Elvira's Movie Macabre Episode 109: Tombs of the Blind Dead

Filmmaker Amando de Ossorio thought of his ghouls in the movie series The Blind Dead more as mummies than zombies. He didn't care for the characterization of them as mindless shamblers, instead preferring to portray them as inexorable manifestations of an ancient evil reborn. There are four Blind Dead movies, and Tombs of the Blind Dead is the first. It originally appeared on Elvira's Movie Macabre September 8, 1984. And I saw it. What I like about Ossorio's Blind Dead is that they don't froth at the mouth or drip Karo syrup. They aren't mindless, senseless shamblers. They are blind because when they were hanged for heresy their eyes were plucked out by birds. Otherwise they are revenants risen from the grave to mostly cause grief to hot chicks. And boy do they get around. They get on trains, boats, whatever is handy.

The Blind Dead make it to an island in the last chapter. Being blind, and dead, doesn't seem to hurt their mobility one bit. I recommend all of the Blind Dead movies.

Gulf Shore, Alabama

Six months after heart surgery

Thomas L. Vaultonburg founded Zombie Logic Press in 1997. He has published four volumes of poetry, Concave Buddha (1991), Detached Retinas (1997), Flesh Wounds (2011), and Submerged Structure (2012). His poems have appeared in over 200 publications and anthologies, including Exquisite Corpse, Caliban, and The Paris Review. His latest project is a childrens book titled The Toughskin Rhinoceros Wrangler Company, co-created with artist Jenny Mathews. His books can all be purchased atZombie Logic Press